SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – New details emerge Monday night about the oil tanker San Francisco Fire Department officials say hit a protective barrier around the base of one of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge towers Monday morning.
The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the incident and said the 752-foot Marshall Island's-registered tanker Overseas Reymar reported to the Coast Guard at approximately 11:20 a.m. that it had collided with tower six of the Bay Bridge in the San Francisco Bay.
The vessel was immediately directed to an anchorage area just west of Alcatraz Island by the Coast Guard Captain of the Port. The vessel was in ballast at the time of the incident.
There were no reports of injuries and no reports of pollution. As a precautionary measure, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port of San Francisco ordered pollution-control boom to be staged.
The Coast Guard and other agencies immediately dispatched response assets to the scene, which included Coast Guard response boats, a cutter, and helicopter as well as additional resources from other federal, state, and local agencies. Coast Guard pollution response personnel, investigators and vessel inspectors were also deployed to check for any signs of pollution to begin an investigation into the incident and determine the ship's structural integrity.
The double-hulled ship sustained damage to its starboard quarter.
The California Department of Transportation sent a structural maintenance team to investigate the bridge and found no structural or foundation damage. Caltrans is continuing to inspect the bridge and the bridge fender system damaged in the incident and will develop a plan for repairs. Vehicle traffic over the bridge was never impacted.
The Overseas Reymar is owned by OSG Ship Management, U.K.
The vessel was headed outbound to sea at the time of the incident.
Drug and alcohol testing is being conducted in accordance with federal regulations.
The Coast Guard said the tanker was going outbound when it hit the bridge's protective barrier on the west end of the bridge.
The ship returned to its anchorage was getting inspected. The Coast Guard said there was no breach of the hull and no oil leakage, although there was minor damage to the bridge fender.
In November of 2007, the Cosco Busan container ship hit a Bay Bridge tower fender and ripped a gash in its hull, spilling 53,000 gallons of bunker fuel into San Francisco Bay.
Courtesy: CBS
